


The Rain We Thought Would Last Forever (and Ever)

by Aerica_Menai



Series: Sweeter than Fiction 'verse [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Covid-19 Related, Crowley owns the florist shop next door, Gen, Pre-Relationship, Quarantine, ace!Ezra, aro!Crowley, mildly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23779420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerica_Menai/pseuds/Aerica_Menai
Summary: When the quarantine hit, Crowley decided it was finally time to read all the books that had been piling up at his place.These are his subsequent conversations with Ezra.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Sweeter than Fiction 'verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614037
Comments: 12
Kudos: 18





	1. Kill the Farmboy

**Author's Note:**

> I figured since *I* have been trying to sit down and read through some books I've been meaning to read for ages, writing about Crowley doing the same might help. I hope everyone reading this is staying sane, safe and healthy <3
> 
> Beta'd by the amazing @grayraincurtain, since she is the bestest!
> 
> Title from Sweeter than Fiction by Taylor Swift

It was day two of the quarantine and Ezra was surprised to hear his phone ringing across the room. He put down his book, carefully marking the page, and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hey, angel,” came Crowley’s voice.

“Hello my dear!” Ezra replied brightly. “How are you doing?”

“Well, I figured with all…this going on, I had time to sit down and read all these books that have been piling up,” Crowley started hesitantly.

Ezra immediately sat down. “And you’ve just finished one, haven’t you? Wonderful! Which one? What did you think?”

Crowley’s chuckle sounded tinny but also slightly relieved. “I actually started with Kill the Farmboy.”

“Good choice! It bet it was nice to have a bit of a laugh. And?”

“I mean, you’re right, it was definitely fun, and I enjoyed it, but…all the wordplay felt a little…dunno. Overemphasized? Overall, it was definitely cute and had some great messages, but it could have done with a slightly lighter hand on the puns and stuff. That’s all. I would be probably be interested in reading whatever they put out next, but…not yet.”

Ezra smiled. “Understandable, my dear, you’re not the first person I’ve heard with that opinion. I love all the puns, but they’re not for everyone.”

Crowley snorted. “Should have known you’d be all over it, angel.”

Suddenly something occurred to Ezra. “My dear, which book are you planning to read next?”

Crowley hummed. “Probably Small Gods.”

“Wonderful! What do you think about me reading it as well, so we’ll have more to talk about when you’re done with it?”

“I - are you sure, angel? Don’t you have your own reading list to work through?”

“No worries at all, my dear, I haven’t been working through a list so much as picking up whatever occurs to me, so having more of a direction would be helpful, actually.” Ezra held his breath as he waited for Crowley’s answer.

“Then sure, angel. I’ll send you a text when I’m done with Small Gods.”

“Marvelous! Can’t wait,” Ezra chirped.

“Me either. Stay safe, angel.”

“You too.”


	2. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavily inspired by the Good Omens: Lockdown video; and the Small Gods chapter is coming!

The next day, Ezra decided to try calling Crowley. While it was unlikely that the man had finished Small Gods - he certainly hadn’t - Ezra figured it couldn’t hurt to check. It was a Terry Pratchett book, after all; he himself had sped through many a Discworld novel at a faster clip than expected.

...And maybe, just maybe, Ezra had gone a tad overboard with his baking experiments as of late; no one person could eat them all, and Anathema had already promised to (safely) distribute whatever amount he (safely) left on her doorstep. Perhaps Crowley would be interested in some of the bounty, before the lion’s share went to Anathema?

(And perhaps all of these reasons were merely excuses to hide that Ezra just...missed Crowley. And calling him was the closest he could get to his favorite customer’s presence. Perhaps. Ezra would never say so out loud, of course.)

In any case, he called, and Crowley picked up. “’Lo?”

“Hello, Crowley,” Ezra chirped.

“Angel…are you done with Small Gods already?”

Ezra chuckled. “No, my dear. Actually, I’m calling because I have…well, I have an excess of baked goods cluttering up my apartment, and - and I wondered if you might be interested in anything being dropped on your doorstep. I’m already making a trip to Anathema’s to drop off everything else, but I can hold back anything you might want.”

Ezra bit his lip at the ensuing silence. Maybe he had overstepped, maybe - 

“What kind of baked goods are we talking?”

Ezra breathed out a sigh of relief. “Mostly different kinds of Bundt cakes, honestly - I had no idea I even had a Bundt pan, so I thought that there was no better time to try it! Apple, red velvet, chocolate, blueberry once I noticed my blueberries were starting to turn; multiple loaves of sourdough, some scones - although those have been decreasing each day around breakfast,” Ezra chuckled. “Umm - oh, also blueberry muffins, plenty of those.”

Ezra stopped rambling at the sound of Crowley’s chuckle. “Sounds like you’ve been busy.”

Ezra blushed. “Well, I can only sit and read for so long before even I get a little…antsy. And there have been so many recipes being shared around!”

“True enough, I suppose. I’m not much of a baked goods person, but…nothing like a good scone in the morning for breakfast. A couple loaves of bread would be nice and…maybe some muffins. Just to try them.”

Ezra smiled. “Of course, my dear; I’ll pack them up at once.”

“Thank you,” Crowley responded quietly. “And…I’ll get on reading Small Gods.”

“I will as well, dear. Stay safe.”

“You too - especially while you’re on this delivery run of yours, angel,” Crowley replied sternly.

“I will, I promise.”


	3. Small Gods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...should not have taken this long, sorry :P
> 
> But - Happy Pride!

As he slowly rationed out Ezra’s baking – the man was too good at too many things, damn him – Crowley started reading Small Gods. It was a much faster read than he was expecting, Crowley letting food and hot drinks go cold in favor of getting through chapters at a time; and only a few days later, he had reached the end. 

He almost called Ezra when he finished, but thought that perhaps Ezra hadn’t finished yet, too busy with baking or one of his other books – another day, Crowley decided, he’d wait another day to call Ezra and talk about it.

Instead, only an hour or two after his decision, he received the text that Ezra had promised – Ezra had finished Small Gods as well.

“Well, it’s not intruding if Ezra makes first contact, is it,” Crowley muttered to himself before making the call.

“Hello my dear!” Ezra chirped as soon as he picked up.

“Hello, angel,” Crowley muttered, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly.

“Well? What did you think?” Ezra asked. 

Crowley bit his lip as he tried to think of the best way to describe what he was thinking. “It was…a lot of really powerful ideas, the kind of things that you read and kinda laugh at but – then you really get it, and it’s just…wow. I definitely enjoyed it, and – I’m still thinking about it, you know? It’s not something you read and put down, it’s something that really sticks with you. And it’s amazing to me, how accurately he was able to really put his finger on the pulse of organized religion, you know?”

Ezra hummed. “He definitely made a lot of very interesting arguments in this one, it’s one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. And if you liked this one, you’d probably enjoy the vast majority of his books,” Ezra continued.

“Mmm, definitely one day, but…I think it’s just…a lot to think about, right now,” Crowley admitted. “Something a little lighter next, I think.”

“Fair enough, my dear,” Ezra replied. “How about Infinite Noise?”

“Sounds good to me, angel,” Crowley responded fondly. “I’ll get started, and…let you know when I’m done.”

“Enjoy!”


	4. The Infinite Noise

As promised, Crowley found Infinite Noise to be a lighter read - not that it was entirely fluff, as it dealt with a couple of pretty heavy topics, but…the characters were high schoolers, and Crowley had always found it easier to keep himself insulated from messy high school drama - it all seemed so…minor, as an adult.

Not that Adam’s depression or bullying was minor, per se, but…Crowley knew it got better, from personal experience, so as all-consuming and overwhelming as Adam and Caleb may have found it all, Crowley’s perspective helped him connect with the book on a lighter level than he would have as, say, a college freshman or (heaven help him) a high schooler. 

In any case, Crowley very much enjoyed the story, and was quick to call Ezra to talk about it.

“Hello, my dear! Have you finished already?” Ezra asked him excitedly when he picked up the phone.

“I have,” Crowley replied, “and I really enjoyed it! I love how well she described Caleb’s empathy, all the emotions he felt and the colors he started associating them with…beautiful, beautiful imagery,” Crowley finished (slightly dreamily, he had to admit) before rallying. “And the world building was fantastic - what a great concept, superheroes going to therapy,” he chuckled. “That was a great idea that she really executed quite well.”

Crowley could practically hear Ezra’s beaming grin through the phone. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, my dear.”

“I really did. Their relationship was adorable, even if some of the drama was a tad oversold,” Crowley winced a bit. “But overall, that was definitely a fantastic recommendation, thank you,” Crowley finished happily.

“My dear, the pleasure is indeed all mine,” Era chirped in reply. “But if you’re interested in keeping our books lighthearted, I’m thinking that perhaps you should skip Mask of Shadows for the moment - it’s good, but definitely contains a number of dark elements.”

“Mmhmm,” Crowley hummed in agreement, “Lighter would definitely be better at the moment. I guess that leaves - Let’s Talk about Love.”

“Oh,” Ezra sighed, “lovely. I don’t know exactly how much you’ll enjoy it, my dear, but I am very much looking forward to rereading this one.”

“Doesn’t get much better than that as a recommendation,” Crowley laughed. “I’m looking forward to it, angel. Take care of yourself.”

“You too!”


	5. Let's Talk About Love

Ezra finished rereading Let’s Talk About Love at a breakneck pace – it was a comfort reread, he had to admit, and he was happy to have an excuse to read it yet again. He suspected that Crowley would not read it quite as quickly as he had, however, so he tried to distract himself. First he tried baking, but after two ruined batches of scones and a batch of burnt muffins, Ezra admitted to himself that perhaps baking was not the best way to distract himself at the moment.

Instead, he remembered that the only book left for Crowley to read in his apartment was Mask of Shadows, which he had already expressed disinterest in reading at the moment. Which meant that Ezra could - and should! – come up with some more recommendations! He was limited to what he could find in his flat, but that was still a hefty list…

*~*

Lovely War was a relatively recent addition to Ezra’s collection, and he thought Crowley would appreciate the beautiful prose, so that was quickly on the list. He couldn’t remember if Crowley had ever read the Princess Bride before, so in case he had never had the pleasure, that was added as well.

He wasn’t sure that the Parasol Protectorate series was exactly Crowley’s taste, but it was fun and hilarious, so he added the first book, Soulless, on. He had tried a few of the books on the aro books list he had shown Crowley before and was quite taken with Baker Thief, so that one too.

Crowley hadn’t seemed against the idea of Redshirts when Ezra had brought it up earlier, just not chosen it over the other four, so that was quickly added when Ezra stumbled across a copy he hadn’t realized he had brought home. 

And he didn’t want to overwhelm the poor dear, so just those five to start. Ezra could probably rustle up more if Crowley didn’t sound interested in any of them. 

*~*

Crowley called after only three days. “That was…really enlightening, angel,” was Crowley’s opening sentence.

“Really?” Ezra asked carefully. “Enlightening” could mean positively or negatively; and even though he didn’t *think* Let’s Talk About Love would have enlightened Crowley in a negative fashion…there was always the chance.

Of course, he needn’t have worried.

“Oh yes! I loved how important communication and facing your emotions was throughout the whole book – the therapy was well-written, too, definite kudos to that – and that in the end, everyone didn’t get a happy ending in the traditional sense, just – compromise. Everyone had to compromise and communicate with each other – such a great thing to read, you know?”

Ezra beamed. “You are so right, my dear! Communication and compromise is sorely lacking in most YA fiction, and it was wonderful to see it take such center stage here.”

“Exactly! And I did love Feenie in particular, probably overidentified with her a bit, if I’m being honest,” Crowley admitted, embarrassment coloring his words, “but all the relationships just felt…so *real.* You know? Fighting with your friends and family is never easy, and I thought the author did such a great job presenting all the emotional conflict.” 

“True, true. I always quite like reading the bits about Tumblr – it’s nice to hear that there’s places that are so accepting, that there’s support out there. Much rarer in my day,” Ezra finished softly.

Crowley hummed in agreement. “Plenty of places to find support nowadays, angel, and thanks goodness for that,” he finished firmly.

“True,” Ezra agreed, “too true.”

“And I guess it’s Mask of Shadows next,” Crowley sighed.

Ezra bit his lip. “Well, actually, my dear…if you’re okay with it, I was brainstorming a few…other, less intense books that I could drop off at your place? If you’d like?”

“I’d – I’d really appreciate that, actually,” Crowley replied softly.

“My pleasure!” Ezra beamed. “Alright, I have – Redshirt, I’m not sure if you remember it?”

“…I do,” Crowley hedged.

“Ah, perhaps it tackles some too-serious topics at the moment, no worries, I have plenty of other ideas,” Ezra rushed on. “Have you ever read The Princess Bride?”

“I thought that was a movie?” Crowley asked confusedly.

“Oh, my dear, if you liked the movie you’ll love the book, I’m definitely putting that on the list,” Ezra continued as he put the book in the bag he was going to use to transport the books to Crowley’s. “I recently read this very interesting book, Lovely War – about the Greek Gods discussing the lives of two pairs of lovers during World War I, and it is indeed quite lovely.”

“Not too depressing, is it?”

“Not overly much – plenty of drama, but it all works out,” Ezra promised.

“Okay, it does sound interesting,” Crowley admitted. 

“Wonderful! Next, I did some poking around on the aro rec list I sent you, out of curiosity, and I ended up trying Baker Thief – I think you’d enjoy it as well. Aro genderfluid protagonist in a magical France – ”

“Sold,” Crowley interrupted.

“I hoped you would be,” Ezra chuckled as he placed Baker Thief with The Princess Bride and Lovely War. “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Gail Carriger, but she writes these absolutely sidesplitting novels, mostly set in a universe where vampires and werewolves are fully integrated into Victorian society? They’re very funny supernatural romance novels with plenty of intrigue and worldbuilding, they’re quite the comfort read, actually,” Ezra chuckled.

“Alright, romance novels aren’t usually my thing but it sounds like this one’s at least worth a shot,” Crowley replied.

“Okay! So that’s four books coming your way. I’d offer to add more of my baking to the list, but unfortunately it’s been a bad week for it,” Ezra admitted guiltily.

Crowley chuckled. “No worries, angel; I’m just happy to get a chance to read more books! Which one would you like to start with?”

“Oh no, my dear, entirely up to you!”

“Hmm. How about Lovely War, then?”

“Done! They’ll be coming your way shortly.”

“Thanks, angel. Be careful.”

“You as well.”


	6. Lovely War

Crowley found the bag of books Ezra had mentioned on his doorstep the next day as he braved the outside world for a grocery run. He quickly placed them inside the door to pick up on his way back in, and hurried off on his errand; but the books were on the back of his mind the entire trip. He was excited to see what Lovely War had in store for him; it certainly was an interesting title.

Laden with groceries on his way inside, he decided it would be more prudent to put them all away before going back downstairs for the books. Groceries could spoil; books could wait a little longer. 

But as soon as he could, he was curled up with Lovely War and a nice cup of tea. 

Ezra had been right, the book was indeed very interesting. Crowley enjoyed the use of each Greek God showing up to elaborate on specific pieces of the story – Aphrodite for the overarching love stories, Ares for the war portions, Apollo for the musical pieces, and Hades for the death that came with any story involving war. 

And Ezra had also been right that the war, while a driving force of the plot, was never overwhelming; the two love stories were the vast majority of the plot and kept things relatively light – dramatic, yes, acknowledging the realities of life, yes, but not heartbreaking or depressing. 

It only took two days for Crowley to finish the book and call Ezra. “Hey, angel.”

“Hello! Finished already?”

“Had a hard time putting it down,” Crowley admitted. “It was…wonderful.”

“Oh, isn’t it?” Ezra sighed. “The language is just magnificent, and despite all the obstacles, a happy ending. Just lovely.”

“Yeah,” Crowley agreed. “And that twist with Aphrodite at the end – definitely didn’t see that coming.”

“Oh yes! I did quite enjoy that,” Ezra smiled. “Gods and goddesses – they’re just like us.”

“Certainly what the Greeks taught,” Crowley smirked. “I thought it was a nice touch.”

Ezra hummed in agreement. “And next?”

“I…I’m not sure,” Crowley hesitated. “Maybe…maybe give a day or two to think on it?”

“Of course, my dear. No rush.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to read more, because I do,” Crowley blurted out. “I just – I just want to fully absorb this one before I move on to the next, you know?”

“Oh, Crowley, I completely understand,” Ezra soothed. “As I said, there’s no rush. Take your time.”

“…Thanks, angel,” Crowley murmured. “I’ll text you soon.”

*~*

The next day, Ezra’s phone pinged. Soulless was Crowley’s next choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovely War is by Julie Berry, if you're interested in finding it yourself! (All books previously mentioned in these chapters are listed with the author's names in the endnote of the previous fic in the series; going forward, new books will have the author mentioned in an endnote like this.)


	7. Soulless

Though it took him an extra few days to dive into Soulless, Crowley did finally pick it up. The book was an unusual size and shape – smaller than most paperbacks he had read, and thicker too. 

He was about halfway through when he realized that despite the fantastic worldbuilding and fascinating cast of characters, Ezra had basically given him a supernatural romance novel; not exactly his usual fare.

But Crowley had to admit, it was one he was very much enjoying. The idea of vampires and werewolves fully absorbed into Victorian society – with all its rigid rules and expectations – was interesting; clearly a lot of background thought had gone into creating this universe, and it very much showed.

Alexia’s outsider role as that of a preternatural, someone whose touch rendered immortals mortal once more, was well-calculated and offered the readers a logical and steady POV character in a world that could so easily be entirely ridiculous and unbelievable. Not that there wasn’t a fair portion of ridiculousness to go around – Lord Akeldama’s dialogue and the entirety of Ivy Hisselpenny’s character added a fair bit – but overall there was a very good balance between wit, humor, mystery, romance and worldbuilding. Crowley definitely ended up flipping through the pages faster than he expected.

“A supernatural romance novel, huh? I was definitely not expecting that to be something you’d read,” Crowley teased lightly when he called Ezra. 

“Oh, my dear, romance novel or not, you have to admit you enjoyed it, didn’t you?” Ezra parried back smugly.

“Ngk. Yeah, yeah I did,” Crowley admitted. 

“…But?”

Crowley sighed. “But, didn’t you say it was the first in a series?”

“I think I mentioned that, yes. It is, if I didn’t.”

“Yeah. And…as much as I enjoyed it, I feel like it wrapped up pretty nicely by itself? Or, well.” Crowley hesitated. “Okay. More like I don’t know that I’m up to committing to an entire series right now. Maybe I’ll be ready to read the rest of the series another time, but right now…I’m happy with stopping here.”

“Absolutely understandable, my dear. It is a fun one though, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Crowley chuckled. “I definitely enjoyed it. The worldbuilding was just so fantastic, the characters were great…and she has a great way with her words, doesn’t she?”

“I do enjoy her writing style a lot,” Ezra agreed. “Her writing is always a mood-booster for me, I was hoping you would enjoy it as well.”

“And thank goodness for that, I don’t know how I could have continued living without the mental image of werewolves integrated into fussy, proper Victorian society,” Crowley laughed, only partially kidding.

“Indeed,” Ezra replied, and Crowley could hear the smile in his voice. “And if Changeless is not the next book you’re interested in reading, my dear, would you prefer Baker Thief or the Princess Bride?”

“Hmm, I’m thinking Princess Bride next, angel – bit of nostalgia sounds nice right now. But hey,” Crowley suddenly blurted out, taken by the idea that had suddenly popped into his head, “after we read it, we should watch it together! Set up Skype or something and watch it simultaneously, that could be really fun…”

“Oh, Crowley,” Ezra breathed, “that is a wonderful idea! It’s a date! Or, well – ”

“It’s a date,” Crowley quickly interrupted, stumbling over his words only a little bit. 

“Oh,” Ezra uttered softly. “Yes,” he continued, voice growing in strength, “a date. I – call me when you’re done with the book?”

“Uh, yeah,” Crowley replied haltingly, barely even able to believe this was actually happening. “Take care of yourself, angel.”

“You too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soulless is by Gail Carriger!


End file.
